UPDATE Weekly

The NC Health Care Facilities Association presents “Keeping and Growing Your Staff: Quantifying the Amount and Causes of Turnover and Developing a Plan to Reverse It.” In today’s world of constantly having to do more with less, are you unnecessarily spending too much money recruiting and training staff just to have them leave? Do you know exactly what staff instability is costing your nursing center in terms of time, money and quality? Tools exist that can help you have solid data. Come learn what tools you can add to your toolbox, what is causing this never ending cycle and things to consider when developing a plan to address it. In this session, you will learn how to develop a plan for implementing strategies to correct turnover and instability in your nursing center.

This information will be presented by Gail Patry, RN, Chief Program Officer for Healthcentric Advisors and Marguerite McLaughlin, Sr. Director of Quality Improvement at the American Health Care Association (AHCA). This seminar will be offered in Charlotte on September 28th and Raleigh on September 29th. Click here to register on-line! Click here to download a brochure/registration form! Don’t wait! Register today!

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Please plan to join your friends and colleagues in beautiful Pinehurst, North Carolina, on September 15 and 16 for the 5th Annual Autumn Classic Golf Tournament. The event will begin Thursday with golf, a reception, dinner and program held at the world famous Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club. The Autumn Classic is being sponsored by the NC Health Care Facilities Association to benefit our political action committee (PAC). You do not have to play golf to participate! Click here for registration materials.

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The NCHCFA Annual Convention and Trade Show will be held February 26-March 1, 2017 at the Sheraton Four Seasons Hotel/Koury Convention Center in Greensboro, NC! Brochures outlining specific program information will be mailed in December.

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PCS regional training sessions will be held in October. Training topics and materials will be available to registered participants prior to the training dates. Providers can register through the Liberty Healthcare Corporation Training Announcement Web site. There is no cost to attend trainings, but registration is required. Providers with additional questions may contact Liberty Healthcare of North Carolina at (855) 740-1400 or NC Division of Medical Assistance (DMA) at (919) 855-4360.

Event Dates and Locations

• Monday, October 3, 2016 – Asheville, Doubletree by Hilton-Biltmore
• Tuesday, October 4, 2016 – Charlotte, Great Wolf Lodge Convention Center
• Wednesday, October 5, 2016 – Greensboro, Greensboro-High Point Marriott Airport
• Monday, October 17, 2016 – Fayetteville, Holiday Inn Fayetteville I95 South
• Tuesday, October 18, 2016 – Greenville, Holiday Inn-Greenville
• Monday, October 24, 2016 – Raleigh, Jane S. McKimmon Conference and Training Center-NCSU

Provider Focus Group

Providers who have been identified as participants in the PCS Provider Focus Group are tentatively scheduled to meet in September. Liberty Healthcare will notify participants in advance of the meeting. For questions, please contact Liberty Healthcare at (855)740-1400.

PCS Desk Reviews

Liberty Healthcare has completed desk reviews of a sample of May 2016 Adverse Assessments. The results will be discussed further in the September Stakeholder Group Meeting.

Skilled Nursing Facility Living Arrangement Code

DMA is aware of SNF Living Arrangement codes being incorrectly placed on beneficiaries’ Medicaid record. If a SNF living arrangement code is identified on a beneficiary’s file it will impact that beneficiary’s ability to be assessed and the provider’s ability to bill for services rendered. If a Provider is experiencing this issue, please reach out to DMA at (919) 855-4360 or by e-mail at PCS_Program_Questions@dhhs.nc.gov.

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The Division of Aging and Adult Services recently released a letter regarding the temporary payments beginning in October 2016 that will be made to facilities that are licensed to accept Special Assistance (SA). This letter explains the legislation that was enacted and how it will be implemented. Each facility owner/operator must take action by Friday, September 16, 2016 in order to be eligible to receive the payments.

The DAAS letter can be accessed by clicking here.

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Nursing homes that fail to submit electronic staffing data by the first required deadline may face sanctions and could see their Five-Star rating suffer as a result, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services officials said.

Providers are required to submit their staffing data for the period lasting from July 1st to September 30th by November 14, 2016 — the first deadline since electronic submission became mandatory.

CMS will be granting some leniency to providers who make an effort to submit data, but those who fail to meet the deadline could face consequences, agency officials told attendees of the Skilled Nursing Facility Open Door Forum on August 25th.

Possible sanctions facing those who miss the deadline include information on their staffing submissions being added to Nursing Home Compare or the Five-Star Quality Rating System. “We are not expecting data to be perfect,” Lorelei Chapman, with CMS’ Division of Nursing Homes, Survey & Certification Group, stated. “However, we do expect all facilities to submit data by the deadline.”

CMS has encouraged nursing homes to submit data every two weeks, but providers may “save and submit as many times” as they’d like, Chapman noted. While the PBJ voluntary reporting period ended at the end of June, facilities can still submit tests. They should not wait until the end of a quarter, said Evan Shulman, CMS deputy director in the Division of Nursing Homes, Survey and Certification Group, in June.

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Beginning with date of service Feb. 1, 2016, Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) implemented an interim action for any claim from a provider who has an NPI but is not enrolled in N.C. Medicaid or N.C. Health Choice (NCHC). This action resulted in a “pay and report edit” appearing on the Remittance Advice (RA). The Explanation of Benefits (EOB) language identifies which NPI (attending, rendering, ordering, prescribing or referring provider) is not currently enrolled in N.C. Medicaid and/or NCHC. Providers are presently receiving an EOB warning message on their RA when the attending, rendering, ordering, prescribing or referring provider’s NPI submitted on the billing provider’s claim is not enrolled in the N.C. Medicaid or NCHC program.

Effective November 1, 2016, this process will change and claims payment will be effected. These changes are detailed in the Medicaid Special Bulletin.

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It has been reported that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) plans to release the final version of a proposed rule update by September 30, 2016. The American Health Care Association (AHCA) is one of the “organizations that helped drive the debate over the proposed rule.” David Gifford, AHCA’s senior vice president for quality and regulatory affairs, said, “We anxiously await to see if CMS took into consideration any of the several thousand comments they received and how they will phase in the proposed changes once finalized.”

NCHCFA will work with the Division of Health Service Regulation (DHSR) to develop provider training once the final rule is been released.

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Join the North Carolina Culture Change Coalition for a workshop challenging your understanding of diversity in the realm of caring for seniors. This event is open to all assisted living and nursing home staff, members of the Quality Improvement Organization (QIO), Ombudsmen, etc.

Through this workshop, participants will be able to:

• Recognize attitudinal barriers, stereotypes and fears that affect how we interact and feel about people with disabilities.
• Recognize attitudinal barriers, stereotypes and fears that affect how we interact and feel about people in the LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual and Transgender) community.
• Describe techniques for embracing a diverse cultural staff and resident-body as an asset to a LTC community.

Cost: $50 per person
Continuing Education Hours: 5.5 (Pre-approval submitted for NH & AL Administrators and Nurses)

Dates & Locations:

• October 6th – Nash Community College; 522 N Old Carriage Road, Rocky Mount, NC 27804
• October 12th – Trinity Village; 1265 21st Street NE, Hickory, NC 28601
• October 19th – Levine Senior Center; 1050 Devore Lane, Matthews, NC 28105
• October 26th – Coastline Convention Center; 503 Nutt Street, Wilmington, NC 28401

Time: 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM

Lunch & snacks will be provided

Speakers:

• Paige Averett, Ph.D., MSW – Associate Professor at East Carolina University’s School of Social Work and internationally recognized expert on LGBT aging, families, and children.
• Lyndall Hare, Ph.D. – Concierge Gerontologist coaching organizations and training professionals working in the field of aging.
• Cindy Deporter, MSSW – State Survey Agency Director for NC Division of Health Service Regulation (DHSR)
• Tammy Wade and Frances Robinson – Regional Employment Services Specialists for Vocational Rehabilitation with the NC Division of Vocational Rehabilitation.

Registration must be submitted by September 16, 2016.

Have questions? Please contact:
Carolyn Hill at chill371@nc.rr.com or Alice Carroll at alicecarroll@friendshomes.org.

To register, click here.

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Alliant Quality wants to encourage SNFs to keep signing up for the National Collaborative – or SPACE. Alliant recommends having as much time as possible to get started on Quality Assurance Performance Improvement (QAPI) improvement work and improving facility quality measures in a systems approach to improve their five star and composite scores.

Alliant Quality is the Medicare Quality Innovation Network (QIN)-Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) for North Carolina. Under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Alliant Quality invites your nursing home to participate in a collaborative designed to ensure that every nursing home resident receives the highest quality of care.

The Collaborative offers an exciting opportunity to learn from high performing nursing homes regarding their processes as they pertain to consistent/permanent staff assignment, teamwork and communications, leadership, regulatory compliance, clinical models, and quality of life indicators. The Collaborative aligns national nursing home quality initiatives and partnerships such as the Advancing Excellence in America’s Nursing Homes Campaign, The Partnership to Improve Dementia Care, and QAPI. Targeted focus areas will include increasing mobility, decreasing unnecessary use of antipsychotics in residents with dementia, decreasing potentially avoidable hospitalizations and decreasing healthcare acquired infections and conditions.

When ready to register, click here for the Participation Agreement and fax or e-mail it back to Lisa Klemis, contact information is on the Participation Agreement. For more details, e-mail Jennifer Brock at Jennifer.Brock@area-F.hcqis.org or call (678) 527-3417.

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It is time once again to acknowledge front line, unlicensed personnel who have demonstrated outstanding achievements in the long term care profession. This awards program honors individuals who are the backbone in our facilities because of the support they provide to our residents. A panel of judges from the Education and Programs Committee will select a Nurse Aide winner from each of NCHCFA’s five districts. In addition, one recipient in a non-nursing discipline will receive the Riley W. Clapp Outstanding Service Award. Each of the award recipients will be honored at the Annual Awards Gala during the Annual Convention and Expo on Tuesday, February 28, 2017 in Greensboro, NC.

To fill out nomination forms online, visit the Member Center of the Association Web site at http://www.NursingHomesNC.com. Click on “News & Updates”, select “2017 NCHCFA Annual Awards Nomination Packet” and choose “Survey Monkey”. If you have any questions, call the Association office at (919) 782-3827. Pictures for nominations submitted online may be e-mailed to karenl@nchcfa.org or mailed to the Association office. Click here to download and print the nomination packet. Nominations received in the Association office after Friday, October 21, 2016 will not be considered.

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It’s time to register for the North Carolina Directors of Nursing Administration Long Term Care, Inc. (NCDONA) conference! The 21st Annual NCDONA Multistate Conference will be held at the Hilton Myrtle Beach Resort from September 14 – 17, 2016. There will be opportunities for multiple continuing education credits for Directors of Nursing as well as Administrators. Visit http://ncdonaltc.com/register to register today! Seating is limited so do not wait to reserve yours!

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Summer is flying by and before you know it, fall will be settling in. Now is the time to register for this year’s AHCA/NCAL 67th Annual Convention & Expo, and make your plans to join us in Nashville in October. AHCA/NCAL has so many exciting things planned. From education sessions and networking events to good food and entertainment, you will not want to miss a thing.

Experience one of the largest Expos, supporting the needs of long term and post-acute care. Attendees have exclusive access to meet one on one with the business community. These specialists stand ready to share solutions that drive efficiency without sacrificing quality.

If you have been too busy to submit your registration, or haven’t made up your mind on attending, don’t wait any longer. Commit now and register today! You can still register at the advance registration rate. After September 21, on-site fees apply!

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Join this 30-minute Webinar to hear about the Georgia Health Information Exchange (GaHIN) and learn how this technology improvement is connecting providers in ways they’ve not been connected before and across state lines.

Speaker: Dr. Denise Hines, Executive Director of the GaHIN
Date: September 7, 2017
Time: 1:00PM ET
Dial in: (800) 699-1085

To join this Webinar, click here!

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Restorative nursing is an essential part of reimbursement, compliance, and the quality of life of your residents. Improper care planning or unclear documentation can negatively impact resident care and your bottom line. The Long-Term Care Restorative Nursing Desk Reference is a new all-inclusive desk reference that describes the clinical aspects of restorative nursing in detail and provides a much-needed guide for nurses in a long term care facility. This resource makes it easy to find instant answers to questions you may have about maintaining or developing your restorative program. The Long-Term Care Restorative Nursing Desk Reference offers the help you need to create or sustain an effective restorative care program that puts your resident’s needs first. This text also comes with a CD-ROM.

To order, visit http://www.AHCApublications.org or call (800) 321-0343. Fax orders may also be placed at (800) 869-5605.

Product #8241
AHCA MEMBERS $149.00

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This DVD, Mobility and Safe Movement of the Elderly, Improving Your Skills to Prevent Injuries and Reduce Falls, by Teepa Snow, MS, OTR/L., FOTA, Dementia Care & Training Specialist, was developed in conjunction with Wake Allied Health Education Center, Durham Technical Community College and the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Office of Information Systems. The content is formatted in separate segments in order to customize the delivery of content to your learning objective. Handouts developed by Teepa accompany each video and may be reproduced. To order, e-mail your request to Donna Snyder at donnas@nchcfa.org. The price is $35.00 (tax and shipping included).

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Leveraging Data Can Help Accelerate Change

http://www.providermagazine.com/archives/2016_Archives/Pages/0716/Leveraging-Data-Can-Help-Accelerate-Change-.aspx

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The first person selected as the Time Magazine Man of the Year was Charles Lindbergh in 1927.

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